Sodium is

a chemical element with

symbol Na (from Latin: natri
um) and atomic number 11.
It is a soft, silver-white,
highly reactive metal and
is a member of the alkali
metals;
its only
stable isotope is 23Na. The
free metal does not occur in
nature, but instead must be
prepared from its
compounds.
It was first isolated
by Humphry Davy in 1807
by the electrolysisof sodium
hydroxide.
Sodium is the sixth most
abundant element in the
Earth's crust, and exists in
numerous minerals such
asfeldspars, sodalite and
rock salt (NaCl).
water so that sodium and
chlorine (Cl) are the most
common dissolved
elements by weight in the
Earth's bodies of oceanic
water.